


Steve's Summer Nap

by girlwithaplan



Category: Captain America (Movies)
Genre: Bucky carries Steve and it is precious, Carrying, Cuddling & Snuggling, Declarations Of Love, Hurt Steve Rogers, Kissing, M/M, Napping, Nightmares, Protective Bucky Barnes, Steve Rogers Needs a Hug
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-11-10
Updated: 2015-11-10
Packaged: 2018-05-01 00:43:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,482
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5185679
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/girlwithaplan/pseuds/girlwithaplan
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Steve just wants to take a nap, but his nightmares won't leave him alone. Thankfully, he's not actually alone.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Steve's Summer Nap

With a sharp intake of breath, Steve jolted upright on the couch, nearly falling off before catching his balance. He only wanted to take a nap, a freaking nap, while Bucky was sparring with Natasha and he'd had a nightmare.

Drawing his knees up under his chin to make himself as small as possible, Steve hid his face and tried to regulate his breathing. Despite the warm summer temperatures outside, Steve was shivering, caught up in a hellish dream where he'd not only watched Bucky fall, he'd stood next to him while Hydra experimented on him and, no matter how he screamed, he couldn't help him. The thought made Steve shudder and tears roll down his face. He knew Bucky was here, alive, but his dream felt so real.

Super soldier hearing should have picked up Bucky entering their floor, but Steve was so lost in his own concoction of guilt and fear that he didn't realize he wasn't alone until he heard a faint, "Steve?" Cursing at himself, Steve unfolded himself and scrubbed a hand over his face, but he was too late because Bucky was kneeling in front of him, looking at him with huge, worried eyes.

"What's the matter?" Bucky asked, placing a tentative hand on Steve's knee. Looking up at the ceiling and blinking furiously, Steve said with false confidence, "It's nothing, Buck." The hand on Steve's knee squeezed him once. "Steve." Bucky clearly wasn't buying his act. Knowing full well that he was acting like a child, Steve crossed his arms and refused to meet Bucky's eyes.

Undeterred, Bucky pleaded quietly, "C'mon Stevie. You were shaking when I came in the door. Talk to me, sweetheart." Steve's emotions betrayed him when Bucky used a pet name and more tears slid down his cheeks. He tried to wipe his tears away, but Bucky's metal hand stopped him and, to Steve's ultimate undoing, pressed feather-light kisses across his knuckles. Barely above a whisper, Steve admitted, feeling even more childish, "I had a bad dream."

Bucky stopped kissing his hand and instead fixed him with the most sympathetic look Steve had ever seen. "Tell me," Bucky said firmly. Taking a shallow breath, Steve told him, "I-It started off with you falling off the train, but then, then," Steve's lower lip trembled as finished, "You were with Hydra and I was there, but I could just watch. I couldn't help and you couldn't see me and no matter how much I yelled and cried, it just k-kept happening and I couldn't stop it, Bucky. I'm sorry." Steve was crying in earnest now, but he had to get it out, "I should've stopped it. I could've done more. I'm so sorry, Buck."

Steve wasn't sure what he expected, but Bucky kissing his forehead wasn't it. He whispered, "Look at me, Stevie." Reluctantly, Steve raised his head and was met with a sad smile. "It was just a dream," Bucky reminded him, tracing Steve's jaw, "And the other stuff was not your fault. You didn't know. I didn't even know what was going on. But you know what I do know for sure?"

Shaking his head, Steve looked into Bucky's eyes, searching. "I know that you love me," Bucky said, pressing his thumb into Steve's chin to hold his gaze, "And I know that I love you. And nothing's going to change that, especially not something as silly as a dream." Steve sank back into the couch, drawing his shoulders up around his ears.

Bucky was briefly confused until he realized, Steve was embarrassed. About his perceived weakness, probably, the dumb punk never wanted anyone to see him as less than his idealized public persona. But, Bucky thought, Steve had it backwards. He was so much more than a national symbol.

Steve Rogers was a person with feelings, fears, hopes, and quirks. All of which made Bucky love him more than he ever thought possible. Bucky wanted Steve to tell him about what made him upset or happy or annoyed. What Bucky did not want was for Steve to feel embarrassed because he was confiding in another human being.

"Hey," Bucky said as he stood up, and when Steve looked up he held out his arms, "Come here." Bucky wiggled his fingers and Steve stood up too and slumped forward, hands grabbing at the back of Bucky's shirt. Wrapping his metal arm snugly across Steve's shoulders, Bucky used his flesh hand to cradle Steve's head, keeping him firmly in place.

"Nothing that happened to me is your fault," Bucky stated, crushing Steve tighter when he made a sound of protest. "No, Steve, it ain't healthy, taking all that responsibility on yourself. It's too much, babydoll." Bucky expected Steve to put up a fight or push him away, instead Steve sucked in air like he'd been punched, then absolutely _fell apart_ in Bucky's arms. Steve was bawling, clinging so hard to Bucky he might bruise.

So Bucky did the only thing he could think of; he put his hands under Steve's thighs and lifted him. Steve hung onto Bucky while the latter carried him slowly down the hall into Steve's bedroom. He sat them down on the side of the bed and was about to pry Steve off and arrange them on the bed when Steve whimpered against his shoulder, "Bucky," and sniffled loudly. That made Bucky stay right where he was and rock them back and forth on the bed, whispering, "Shh. I got you. It's okay."

They stayed like that until Steve calmed down enough to be breathing normally. Then Bucky lay back on the bed and pulled Steve with him, tucking the giant super soldier under his chin and rubbing his back soothingly. "You doin' all right now, Stevie?" Bucky asked, still tracing Steve's spine with his fingers. Steve huffed, "Yeah. I'm done blubbering." Bucky shook his head and said, "I don't mind that, Steve. Everybody's got a breaking point and we found yours."

Steve didn't have anything to say to that, so he rolled off Bucky's chest so their eyes could meet. Bucky couldn't help smiling when he said, "I love you. But I want you to be honest with me about something, okay?" Steve blinked and whispered, "I love you, too." Bucky kissed the tip of his nose and Steve nodded for him to go on.

Taking a breath, Bucky asked gently, "How long have you been having nightmares?" Steve tensed up and Bucky threw a leg over his hip to keep him from rolling away. His bright blue eyes were trying hard to be cold, resigned, but his damn bottom lip wouldn't stop quivering. "I shoulda told you. But, pretty much I have 'em two or three times every week since..."

A warm thumb brushed against Steve's cheek, and Bucky pressed, "Since when?" Knowing Bucky wouldn't like his answer, Steve squeezed his eyes shut, "Since I thawed out. Started the first time I tried to sleep in a modern bed. Hasn't stopped yet." The fingers caressing his face stilled and roughly grasped the back of his neck, and suddenly Bucky was kissing him, hard. Steve was shocked enough that it took a moment for the wetness against his cheeks to register, Bucky was crying and kissing him like he was afraid to stop.

When they finally broke apart, Bucky kept his hand tight on Steve's neck and said in a pained voice, "You been struggling all this time and haven't told anyone? You've just been dealing with all of it alone?" Steve could only find the strength to nod, and he didn't have to say anything at all because Bucky pulled him back in and hugged him, leg around his hip tightening and a hand in the middle of his back pushing Steve into Bucky as if he could melt them into one person. 

Without loosening his grip, Bucky kissed Steve's cheek and forehead and chin and nose, growling, "Never." Kiss. "Again." Kiss. "Steve." Kiss. "I'm here now." Kiss.

He looked down at Steve with such fierceness, such protectiveness, that a shiver coursed down Steve's spine. "You will never, _ever_ have to deal with this alone again, hear me?" Steve nodded again and got a soft kiss to his lips.

"I need you to tell me when you're hurting, sweetheart,"Bucky pleaded, "I want to help."  Steve smiled at Bucky, feeling lit from his head to his toes with love for the man beside him, so he promised, "I can do that."

"Good," Bucky whispered, running metal fingers through Steve's hair with careful tenderness. Steve pushed his face into Bucky's neck, finally content and still tired.

"We're gonna try this nap thing again, and if you have a nightmare, I'll be here, okay?" Steve nuzzled in closer and said, "Thank you." Bucky kissed the top of his head in response and Steve drifted off, safe in Bucky's arms.

**Author's Note:**

> If you want to read a similar thing from Bucky's POV, check out one of my other works, Bucky's Rainy Day.


End file.
